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Latvia ready to lease or sell its port infrastructure facilities to Belarus

The sides dwelt upon cooperation in transport and logistics and on the enlargement of Belarusian commodity transit via Latvian ports

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

MINSK, November 9 (Itar-Tass) —— Latvia is ready to make a proposal to Belarus to rent or buy out infrastructure facilities at Latvian sea ports, the Belarussian Foreign Ministry said on Friday, commenting on a meeting of Belarusian Ambassador to Latvia Alexander Gerasimenko and Latvian Transport Minister Aivis Ronis.

Among other issues, the sides dwelt upon cooperation in transport and logistics and on the enlargement of Belarusian commodity transit via Latvian ports.

“The both parties to the talks expressed satisfaction with encouraging dynamics of indexes going up in the sphere of trade and transport services, paid special attention to further mutually beneficial development of cross-border and railway infrastructure between Belarus and Latvia,” the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said.

“The Latvian side expressed its readiness to participate in investment projects aiming to enlarge train-handling capacity in both directions, to create favorable conditions for Belarusian partners in their work at Latvian ports and to offer definite alternatives to renting or purchasing the port infrastructure facilities,” the ministry reported.

Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday his country is ready to redirect part of its cargoes from the ports of the Baltic states through the Russian ones.

“We discussed this thing very seriously at our last meeting with Vladimir Putin and took a principal decision to redirect large amounts of cargoes, including potash fertilizers and other cargoes, from the ports of the Baltic states through your ports,” Lukashenko said at his meeting with Leningrad Regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko.

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